Opening Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Published on April 28, 2024
Opening refers to the act of becoming open or making something accessible or available. e.g., The grand opening of the new library attracted hundreds of visitors.
Table of Contents
Opening Definitions
An initial part or opportunity to start something.
The opening scene of the movie was breathtaking.
The formal commencement of a public event or ceremony.
The opening of the festival was marked by a fireworks display.
An available job position.
There's an opening in the accounting department for a new manager.
The act or an instance of becoming open or being made to open
The opening of the tomb.
A gap, breach, or aperture
Slipped through an opening in the hedge.
A clearing in the woods.
The first part or stage, as of a book.
The first performance
The opening of a play.
A formal commencement of operation
Attended the opening of the new museum.
A specific pattern or series of beginning moves in certain games, especially chess.
An opportunity affording a chance of success.
An unfilled job or position; a vacancy.
Present participle of open
Pertaining to the start or beginning of a series of events.
The opening theme of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is, perhaps, the most recognizable in all of European art music.
The opening act of the battle for Fort Sumter was the firing of a single 10-inch mortar round from Fort Johnson at 4:30 a.m. on April 12, 1861, by Lt. Henry S. Farley, who acted upon the command of Capt. George S. James, which round exploded over Fort Sumter as a signal to open the general bombardment from 43 guns and mortars at Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson, the floating battery, and Cummings Point.
(cricket) describing the first period of play, usually up to the fall of the first wicket; describing a batsman who opens the innings or a bowler who opens the attack
An act or instance of making or becoming open.
The daily openings of the day lily bloom gives it its name.
He remembered fondly the Christmas morning opening of presents.
A gap permitting passage through.
A salamander darted out of an opening in the rocks.
He slipped through an opening in the crowd.
An act or instance of beginning.
There have been few factory and store openings in the US lately.
Their opening of the concert with Brass in Pocket always fires up the crowd.
Something that is a beginning.
The first performance of a show or play by a particular troupe.
They were disappointed at the turnout for their opening, but hoped that word would spread.
The initial period when a show at an art gallery or museum is first opened, especially the first evening.
The first few measures of a musical composition.
The first few moves in a game.
John spends two hours a day studying chess openings, and another two hours studying endgames.
A vacant position, especially in an array.
Are there likely to be any openings on the Supreme Court in the next four years?
A time available in a schedule.
If you'd like to make a booking with us, we have an opening at twelve o'clock.
The only two-hour openings for the hockey rink are between 1AM and 5AM.
An unoccupied employment position.
We have an opening in our marketing department.
An opportunity, as in a competitive activity.
(math) In mathematical morphology, the dilation of the erosion of a set.
The act or process of opening; a beginning; commencement; first appearance; as, the opening of a speech.
The opening of your glory was like that of light.
A place which is open; a breach; an aperture; a gap; cleft, or hole.
We saw him at the opening of his tent.
An opportunity; as, an opening for business.
A vacant place; a job which does not have a current occupant; as, they are now interviewing candidates for the two openings in the department.
A thinly wooded space, without undergrowth, in the midst of a forest; a clearing; as, oak openings.
An open or empty space in or between things;
There was a small opening between the trees
The explosion made a gap in the wall
A ceremony accompanying the start of some enterprise
Becoming open or being made open;
The opening of his arms was the sign I was waiting for
The first performance (as of a theatrical production);
The opening received good critical reviews
The act of opening something;
The ray of light revealed his cautious opening of the door
Opportunity especially for employment or promotion;
There is an opening in the sales department
The initial part of the introduction;
The opening established the basic theme
A possible alternative;
Bankruptcy is always a possibility
An aperture or hole opening into a bodily cavity;
The orifice into the aorta from the lower left chamber of the heart
A vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made;
They left a small opening for the cat at the bottom of the door
An entrance equipped with a hatch; especially a passageway between decks of a ship
The first of a series of actions;
He memorized all the important chess openings
First or beginning;
The memorable opening bars of Beethoven's Fifth
The play's opening scene
A gap or space that allows passage or access.
The mouse found an opening in the wall to escape through.
The first move in a game or sport, especially chess.
Her opening in chess always involves advancing the pawn two squares.
The act of removing obstructions from something.
The opening of the blocked pipe required professional tools.
A break in a schedule allowing for an additional activity.
I have an opening in my calendar next Thursday.
An opportunity to express oneself or to present one's views.
The debate gave him an opening to share his opinions.
A hole or aperture in a material object.
The sweater had an opening at the sleeve where a button was missing.
The beginning part of a day or event.
The opening hours of the museum are from 9 AM to 5 PM.
Opening Snonyms
Inauguration
The formal beginning or introduction of a system, policy, or period.
The inauguration of the new president drew large crowds.
Gap
A break or space in between objects.
The gap between the fence boards allowed the dog to see through.
Debut
A person's first appearance or performance in a particular capacity.
Her debut on the professional tennis circuit was highly anticipated.
Commencement
The beginning or start of something.
The commencement of the new school year is always exciting.
Breach
An act of breaking or failing to observe a law, agreement, or code of conduct. In this context, it can mean a physical gap.
The storm caused a breach in the sea wall.
Aperture
An opening, hole, or gap, especially one allowing light to pass through.
The camera's aperture was set to f/2.8 for the shot.
Vacancy
An unoccupied position or job.
The hotel had a vacancy, so we were able to book a room last minute.
Opportunity
A set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
The career fair presented an opportunity for networking.
Entry
The act of going into or joining a place or organization.
The entry into the private club required a membership.
Slot
A position within a hierarchy or organization.
She was hoping to fill the next available slot in the graduate program.
Opening Idioms & Phrases
Opening the door to
Creating an opportunity for something.
The new policy is opening the door to further innovations.
Opening one’s eyes
To become aware of the reality of a situation.
Traveling to different countries really opened her eyes to various cultures.
Opening Pandora’s box
To do something that causes a lot of new problems that were previously not known or thought about.
Asking about the origin of the funds was like opening Pandora’s box.
Opening up
To start talking freely or to start operating.
After the team-building exercise, everyone started opening up.
Opening shot
The first in a series of actions.
The critic's review was just the opening shot in a long debate over the movie's quality.
Opening the books
To show financial records to the public or to those entitled to view them.
The company is opening the books for the yearly audit.
Opening night
The first night of a performance or show.
The actors were nervous but excited for opening night.
Opening the floodgates
To allow something to happen a lot or to allow many people to do something that was not allowed before.
Approving the first application opened the floodgates for more to come.
Soft opening
A preliminary opening, especially of a business, to a limited audience.
The café had a soft opening to test their menu with friends and family.
Opening salvo
The first in a series of aggressive actions.
The lawyer's opening salvo was a pointed question to the witness.
Opening Example Sentences
They celebrated the opening of their new art exhibit.
He always pays attention to the opening moves in a chess game.
The store announced its opening with a large banner.
The opening in the hedge was too small for an adult to fit through.
Finding an opening in his busy schedule was difficult.
The opening of the bottle was sealed tightly.
He took the opening to apologize for his mistake.
She looked for an opening to join the conversation.
The opening act of the concert warmed up the crowd.
The job opening attracted many qualified candidates.
She waited for an opening to cross the busy road.
The opening of the film set the tone for the entire story.
The sun peeked through an opening in the clouds.
An opening for a graphic designer appeared in the local newspaper.
The opening statement in the debate was compelling.
Common Curiosities
How is opening used in a sentence?
"Opening" is used to describe the act of making something accessible or the initial part of an event. e.g., The opening of the new store was a huge success.
Why is it called opening?
It's called "opening" because it refers to the action or process of making something accessible, starting something, or becoming open.
What is the root word of opening?
The root word of "opening" is "open."
How many syllables are in opening?
There are three syllables in "opening."
How do we divide opening into syllables?
Opening is divided into syllables as follows: o-pen-ing.
What is the pronunciation of opening?
Opening is pronounced as /ˈoʊpənɪŋ/.
What part of speech is opening?
"Opening" can be a noun (as in an opportunity or gap) or a verb (present participle of "open").
What is the verb form of opening?
The verb form of "opening" is "open."
What is the first form of opening?
The first form is "open."
What is the third form of opening?
The third form is also "opened."
What is a stressed syllable in opening?
The stressed syllable in "opening" is the first syllable: "o."
Is opening an abstract noun?
No, "opening" is not typically considered an abstract noun; it refers to concrete actions or things.
Is opening a noun or adjective?
"Opening" is primarily a noun, but it can also function as an adjective in certain contexts (e.g., opening ceremony).
Is opening a negative or positive word?
"Opening" is generally a neutral word, but it can have positive connotations when associated with opportunities or beginnings.
Is opening a collective noun?
No, "opening" is not a collective noun.
Is the word opening imperative?
"Opening" can be part of an imperative sentence when used as a verb (e.g., "Open the door"), but the word itself is not imperative.
Which determiner is used with opening?
Determiners like "an," "the," or possessive pronouns can be used with "opening" (e.g., "the opening").
What is the second form of opening?
The second form is "opened."
What is the plural form of opening?
The plural form is "openings."
Is opening an adverb?
No, "opening" is not an adverb.
What is another term for opening?
Another term for "opening" could be "inauguration" when referring to events, or "gap" when referring to spaces.
What is the opposite of opening?
The opposite of "opening" could be "closing" or "closure."
Is the opening term a metaphor?
"Opening" can be used metaphorically to refer to opportunities or beginnings.
Is the word “opening” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Opening" can be a direct object when it is the thing being opened. It is not used as an indirect object.
Which conjunction is used with opening?
Conjunctions like "and" or "but" can be used with "opening" when connecting clauses or phrases.
What is the singular form of opening?
The singular form is "opening."
Which vowel is used before opening?
The vowel used before "opening" depends on the article or adjective; there's no specific rule for vowels before "opening."
Is opening a vowel or consonant?
The word "opening" begins with a vowel sound.
Is opening a countable noun?
Yes, "opening" is a countable noun (e.g., openings for jobs).
Is the word opening Gerund?
Yes, when used as a verb form (present participle), "opening" can be a gerund.
Which preposition is used with opening?
Prepositions such as "in," "at," and "for" are commonly used with "opening" (e.g., "opening in the wall," "opening at 9 AM," "opening for a manager").
Which article is used with opening?
Both "a" and "the" can be used with "opening," depending on whether it is a specific or nonspecific opening (e.g., "an opening in the schedule," "the opening of the show").
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
